Autumnal - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Russet brown, rich amber when held to light, clear with many, many streams of fine bubbles rising to a billowy & creamy light khaki head. Great retention & really good lacing. Second pour yields a firm dose of cloudiness. More of a murky chestnut brown.

S: Caramelly sweetness & bread crust malts with a backbone that is nutty & biscuity. Herbal, leafy, & grassy hops in a laidback rather than forward manner. Good bit of dark fruit. Hint of peppery spice. A bit malty & sweet for stated style but fair strength and nicely pleasant.

T: Herbal, leafy, grassy, & almost vegetal hops fight it out in the open with lots of caramel sweetness. Again, hops are strong but relaxed. More flavor and character than bitter. Dark bread crust and toasty / nutty malts weigh in on the side of sweetness. Some yeasty phenols show up in the middle. Approaching the end some dark fruit emerges & then a bit of roast. Hint of peppery spice. Finish is roast & a touch of hoppy resin/earth.

M: A bit under medium body with carbonation quite strongly balanced yet very finely textured & soft feeling. Smooth but too well attenuated to be creamy. Flash of sweetness at the open and then it is drying from herbal & earthy notes with a touch of soft astringency and a bit of spice. Firm but not aggressive. Ghost hint of alcohol warmth way back in the throat.

D: A big Alt with a touch of Belgian flair more than a dark saison. Just not spicy & earthy enough. Could also be more dry / less sweet. Too malt focused for a saison. Not even a hint of tart and/or funk. A bit too oddly herbal. Still it is tasty and it really grows on you. Nice and interesting. 4/7 Sticke, 2/7 dubbel, 1/7 saison. Something like that.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 00:47:55 | More by SickGnar

markcp

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-19-2013 19:37:56 | More by markcp

Mendicant

Australia

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-16-2013 10:49:04 | More by Mendicant

Braz

Washington

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-11-2013 06:35:07 | More by Braz

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-02-2013 05:04:54 | More by spycow

atone315

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

04-27-2013 22:12:11 | More by atone315

Lob

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-26-2013 01:53:37 | More by Lob

GreenMountainBoy

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

04-20-2013 19:42:37 | More by GreenMountainBoy

richj1970

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev 0%

04-06-2013 03:32:07 | More by richj1970

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-30-2013 02:29:56 | More by DaPan

Mattias

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

03-23-2013 21:20:30 | More by Mattias

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.81/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle - $10.99 at Bullock's Wine & Spirits in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a rustic brown body, opaque, with a hefty layering of off-white suds.

Smell: Sugar-encusted, toasted dark bread, embodying a scent of caramel just as a blitz of tartish, ripe fruits, citrus, banana, and piquant phenolic spices (along with a drip of alcohol) pop in.

Taste: Moderately toasted bread crusts and fresh grains, with a sweetness of dark caramel and brown sugar. Has a herbaceous streak running through it from the hops, along with a little bitterness boosted by the suds. Soon, the wheat opens up, as does a little tempered roastiness. A portion of sawdust mingled with white peppercorns. Splash of fresh lemon juice. Hint of pear, prune, and bruised banana. Drying, zestful, tartish finish with some sweetness remaining.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: A nice, respectable ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 22:36:27 | More by ChainGangGuy

andrewinski1

Maine

3.26/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a tulip. There is a dark brown body with very little clarity. There is a nice one inch medium tan head. There is some mild sticky lacing.

The aroma has some mildly fruity spice with some subtle maltyness.

The taste has a rich nearly roasty malt flavor. The slightly spicy yeast is placed mostly at the finish. This is just a little too malty for my liking.

This is medium bodied with crisp carbonation. Not bad but I prefer many of Stillwater's other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 02:50:53 | More by andrewinski1

grover37

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

03-08-2013 04:40:40 | More by grover37

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

03-07-2013 19:03:11 | More by orangesol

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

02-16-2013 05:16:24 | More by brewdude1982

Lambocalrisien

New York

4/5  rDev +6.7%

02-11-2013 02:25:26 | More by Lambocalrisien

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

02-10-2013 17:54:19 | More by yourefragile

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev 0%

01-21-2013 21:17:49 | More by DrunkinYogi

bismarksays

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev 0%

01-15-2013 10:09:50 | More by bismarksays

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +6.7%

01-07-2013 19:57:04 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

Apostlebrews

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a dark amber in color. The carbonation is evident in the pour as it left about three-fingers worth of head. Lots of lacing on the glass. Fortunately, the head dissipates quickly.

Lots of spice, yeast, and sweet fruits on the nose. As the beer warmed, I could pick up some caramel in the aroma as well.

The taste is a Belgian bomb of sugar, spices, and dark fruits. Slightly sour. Grape, ginger, and figs are the dominant flavors up front before the Belgian funk shows up. This beer has a creamy caramel finish that took my by surprise. With all the carbonation that hits the tongue up front, I wasn't expecting such a creamy finish. The carbonation fades in the mouth and allows this beer to end with a smooth coating on the tongue.

At first, I wanted to write about how this is a decent beer, but sort of forgettable, and then I remembered what I learned about farmhouse ales. These are brewed to "get by" on the farm. They aren't meant to blow your socks off with a bag of tricks. They come from a time of simplicity and hard work. They're rustic. And when I think about that, I think Autumnal successfully embodies this style. It's not the best beer I've tasted, but it's satisfying. I think that's all it needs to be.

Check out more of my reviews at thebeerapostle.com

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:27:19 | More by Apostlebrews

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev 0%

12-27-2012 19:10:08 | More by JohnK17

Magery

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev 0%

12-15-2012 07:57:45 | More by Magery

tfsimpkins

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -26.7%

12-10-2012 17:26:51 | More by tfsimpkins